Black Beauty
Single source · Reviewed Sep 9, 2026
Values marked like this (estimated) are model estimates, not confirmed from a source.
Open-pollinated slicer from USA. The darkest common tomato: true black skin over dense, oily, earthy flesh. Ready in about 85 days from transplant.
- Open-pollinated
- 85 (estimated) days to maturity (from transplant)
- Indeterminate
- Large fruit
- Challenging (estimated)
At a glance
- Fruit type
- Slicer 6–10 oz (170–280 g) · Flattened globe (estimated)
- Leaf type
- Regular leaf
- Plant height
- 5–7 ft (150–210 cm) (estimated) Tall
- Spacing
- 24 × 35 in (60 × 90 cm) (estimated)
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Position
- Handles open positions
- Growing sites
- Greenhouse · Polytunnel · Open ground
- Container growing
- Not suited to pots
- Skin
-
- Black
- Interior
-
- Red
Plant size and habit
Tall · Indeterminate
5–7 ft (150–210 cm) (estimated) · Regular leaf
Black Beauty is an indeterminate plant that keeps growing and setting fruit until frost; it needs a stake, cage, or trellis for the whole season. Expect a plant of 5–7 ft (150–210 cm).
Flavor
“The darkest common tomato: true black skin over dense, oily, earthy flesh.”
Growing calendar
- Sow indoors
- Transplant out
- Harvest
Timing shown for temperate climates; sow indoors 6–8 weeks before your last frost date.
Disease resistance
No documented disease resistances — protect this variety with good airflow and crop rotation.
Uses & tags
- Slicing
- Fresh & salads
- Novelty color
- High flavor
- Rare collector
Origin
Black Beauty was bred by Brad Gates of Wild Boar Farms from a cross of Pink Berkeley Tie-Dye and Indigo Apple, selected over five generations for extreme anthocyanin expression; where sunlight hits the fruit it goes genuinely black rather than the dark red-brown of older 'black' heirlooms, and the pigment forms in the flesh under the skin, not just on it. The flesh is dense and oily, with an earthy depth unlike anything in the traditional dark group. Full sun in hot climates is not recommended; some leaf shade keeps the fruit from scalding.
Sources
Where to buy seeds
We're adding trusted seed sources for this variety.
All photos
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Black Beauty tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover -
A truss of Black Beauty tomatoes -
Black Beauty tomato plant in a garden bed with ripe fruit on the vine -
A ripe Black Beauty tomato held in a gardener's hand -
Freshly picked Black Beauty tomatoes -
Black Beauty tomato sliced in the kitchen
Questions
How long does Black Beauty take to mature?
Black Beauty is ready in about 85 days from transplant.
Does Black Beauty need staking?
Black Beauty is an indeterminate plant that keeps growing and setting fruit until frost; it needs a stake, cage, or trellis for the whole season. Expect a plant of 5–7 ft (150–210 cm).
Can Black Beauty be grown in a container?
Black Beauty is better suited to open ground or a greenhouse bed than a container.
Is Black Beauty resistant to disease?
No disease resistance is documented for Black Beauty.
See also
Other slicer varieties people put next to this one.
Grows like this one
Indeterminate, mid-late, full sun. Same support, same calendar.
